Written in the stars
by FizzyPop's'n'FlipFlops.x
Summary: Mylee and Paul were in love, and Sam and Leah were the perfect couple. Phasing changed the path of everyone's lives and nothing is how it should have been. Four years later when Mylee returns with her son will she and Paul realise maybe real love is worth more than an imprint that never took place? Will Leah find her happy ending? Read ch1 to get a better idea... PaulxOC LeahxOC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok so here is a story I have had in my head for a while. I know it's not the One Tree Hill you're used to but I hope you like it. More will be explained as the story goes on.**

**Chapter 1**

**Mylee POV- ****January 2010**

"What about blue?" Leah asked, passing me the magazine.

I looked at the assortment of blue flowers on the page and handed the book back to her.

"It's pretty but let's keep our options open," I said and she folded down the edge of the page.

"Do we really have to do all this wedding stuff now?" Sam whined and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry baby, are you feeling neglected?" Leah asked, sitting against his chest.

"Yep," he said wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned down to kiss her, but Leah winked and pulled away at the last second, his kiss landed against her glossy brown hair.

"Too bad, we have to do this now," Leah said and I giggled at the dejected look on my brother's face.

"The wedding is like months away," Paul said from his spot on the sand with his head in my lap. "How long does it take to plan a wedding anyway?"

"Well once my best friend abandons me and moves half way across the country, wedding planning is going to be a bit more difficult," Leah said.

"It's not like we're never going to see each other again or not have any contact," Sam said. "I for one am planning to visit all the time to make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble."

"Ha ha, very funny," I said, "but I'm a big girl—I'm twenty years old, I can take care of myself."

"I'm your big brother, it's my job to worry," he said.

"I'll be joining her in a few months after graduation, so we know she'll be ok with me there to protect her," Paul said.

"Yeah that doesn't really reassure me," Sam joked, and Paul threw a grape in his direction, which ended up hitting Leah, who consequently whacked Paul on the leg.

"Do you have to go?" Leah whined for the tenth time that day.

"Guys, I'll be back before you know it. The internship's only for a year," I told them all.

It had always been my plan. Go to college, and then get an internship at a newspaper. The only way to do that was to move from La Push, at least for a little while. I couldn't really get very far with my journalism career in this tiny little town where Leah's Dad, Harry was in the paper last week for managing to catch a big fish and it was classed as 'big news'.

It was only now that 'the plan' was actually unfolding. I'd graduate early in a few weeks, then make the big move out to Chicago for a year where I'd already been accepted into an internship at The Times. Of course all of this would be a no go if I didn't have Paul there with me. After graduation he'd come out to be with me and get a job where we'd stay for a year, before coming home.

"I know, but we'll miss you," Leah said sticking out her bottom lip.

"What about me?" Paul pointed out, "I'm going too, but everyone just seems to be going on about how much they'll miss Mylee!"

"That's because Mylee's my little sister, and she's Leah's best friend. You're just the extra that comes along with her," Sam said, even though we all knew that was far from the truth. The four of us had been best friends since grade school, and had kept our friendship strong through college, despite Sam being a year older than Paul and Leah and me being a year younger than the two of them. It had just worked out that somehow along the way we'd each found our soul mates close by.

"I'm started to feel like I'm not loved," Paul pouted, and I ran my fingers through his short hair. I knew he loved it when I did that, but I'm sure it relaxed me more than it relaxed him.

"I can't believe I'm saying this though but I think I'm actually going to miss Paul," Leah said watching the two of us.

"Are you feeling alright Lee-Lee?" Sam asked her, feeling her forehead. "Maybe the sun's gotten to her."

She pushed his hand off and rolled her eyes.

"Leah just said a nice thing about me. There must be something wrong with her," Paul said.

"Seriously guys! Whether we want it to or not, everything is going to change once you're both gone," she said sounding sad.

"Nothing's going to change," Sam said kissing Leah on the forehead, and threading his fingers through hers.

"It will! Paul and Myles with be gone, it will all be different. I don't think we've ever gone a day without seeing each other."

"The year will fly past, and we'll be back before you know it. And then you'll go back to complaining about how you see Paul too much," I said, joking at the end.

"I'm going to miss this; the four of us," Leah said.

"Hey! I'm not going anywhere you know," Sam reminded her.

"Thank god for that. I don't know what I'd ever do if you left me," she said.

"Well you don't ever have to worry because I'm not going anywhere," Sam said kissing her on the lips.

This is how it was always meant to be. I don't think I could ever be happier. As much as I couldn't wait to go to Chicago and start my career, I also wished I could stay here on La Push beach with my three favourite people forever.

"Nothing will change, you'll see," I said smiling softly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Mylee POV- ****April 2014- Present day**

_Welcome to La Push_

That was what the sign said. I don't think my eyes had ever scanned over three words which had ever resulted in such an automatic feeling of nausea.

Four years ago the sign had read 'You are now leaving La Push', and when I drove over the invisible barrier, I never had any intention of coming back.

I drove the rental car through La Push toward my old house on auto-pilot, my mind instantly remembering the streets I'd grown up on for the first twenty years of my life as if I'd never left.

I closed the map and put it on the passenger seat beside me, as I took in my surroundings. It seemed like I'd just been gone a few days because everything looked exactly the same, as if the whole town had been on pause in my absence and it had suddenly restarted as I crossed the border.

As I drove past the streets I'd walked down a million times, each and every memory I'd had on then flashed through my mind, from the endless days I'd spent in 'The Diner' to the edge of the forest which I used to know like the back of my hand because of all the 'exploring' we'd done as kids.

"Are we there yet?" I heard, pulling me out of my trip down memory lane. I smiled in the rear view mirror at my four year old son, and nodded thankful that this time I could actually answer him honestly because we weren't that far away.

"Nearly."

I pulled out a juice box from the bag on the floor and passed it back to him.

"Is this where you used to live?" he asked looking out the window and taking a long sip.

"Yep," I said, part of me still not believing that I was bringing him here after swearing I wouldn't be back. Sure I missed La Push and there was times that I felt like I never should have left my home but every day when I looked into my son's eyes I knew I'd made the right choice as I was reminded of my reason for leaving.

"Are we there yet?" he asked again, and I cracked a smile.

"Actually yes," I told him, pulling into the driveway of the house that I'd grown up in.

I turned off the engine and stared at the brown cottage with white trimming. If I thought La Push hadn't changed, then that idea was doubly true for my house. I could still see the line-up of cuddly toys I had on my bedroom windowsill, in the corner bedroom. Considering Mom hadn't moved the toys, I doubted she'd moved anything else out of my old room either.

Like the many times I had come accustomed to seeing the sight before me, I could see Mom's gardening equipment laid out on the lawn. I had told her countless times that she couldn't just leave it out when she was in the house, but she always ignored me and told me nothing bad ever happens in La Push.

"Are we going inside?" Josh asked, confused to why we had parked but not moved.

"Yes we are," I said getting out the car, and stretching my legs.

Before I could make a move to take any bags out, the front door flew open and my eyes watered as soon as I saw Mom rush out, and pull me into a hug.

"Oh my baby," she said, not letting go.

I hugged her back, and as soon as I smelt that 'mom' smell, I knew I was doing the right thing in coming here. As soon as Mom had called to tell me her cancer was back I knew I had to get the first flight out. There was no way I was leaving her by herself through all of this.

By the time I'd arrived at the airport I had a plan in motion. Convince Mom to come back to Atlanta with me, then pack up her stuff and go back before anyone had a chance to know I was back.

"Oh sweetheart," Mom said stroking my hair, "It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," I said, wiping away my tears.

"Where's my favourite grandson?" she asked animatedly.

"I'm here," I heard Josh yell from inside the car. Mom opened the back door and unbuckled him from his seat before setting him down.

"No, you're not my Joshie," she said. "You're too big! My Joshie was a baby!"

"It's me Gramma! I grew!" he assured her.

"Yes you did!" she said picking him up, and walking toward the house.

"Mom! You shouldn't be lifting him!" I called to her.

"Nonsense, I'll be fine!" she called back to me.

I sighed and took the bags out the car. She always thought she was capable of doing way more than she could handle. I took the two bags out the car, as well as my shoulder bag from the passenger seat and went into the house behind them, closing the door behind me.

I dropped the bags in the hallway and took my time, walking through the house to the kitchen where I could hear their voices.

I took in all the details I never took the time to savour before I left in a hurry years ago; like the wonky photo frames, and the piece of missing wallpaper that had been torn off as a result of me and Sam just being kids. I eventually went into the kitchen when I heard Mom say 'where'd your Mommy get to?' to Josh.

Mom put a plate of homemade cookies in front of Josh who helped himself as she poured three glasses of lemonade from the jug.

"Mom, you shouldn't have gone to such an effort," I told her. "Sit down you should be resting."

"It's not an effort!" she said, and I knew making things like cookies which was disastrous for me was like second nature to her.

I followed her over to the breakfast bar, and leaving Josh to his cookies on the dining table.

"So was work ok with your resignation?" she asked handing me a glass.

"Actually I didn't quit," I told her.

"You didn't?" she asked.

"No, I just took a few weeks off," I told her.

"But…I don't understand," she said.

"I wanted to talk to you about coming back to Atlanta with us," I said and watched her expression fall.

"I can't move," she said. "I've lived here all my life."

"Mom, I have my job there, and Josh has school, and if you moved I would be able to take care of you. You don't have to sell the house, you can just come and be with me for a while."

"I don't know," she said.

"I miss you Mom. Josh misses you. I know I was the one who left but we both need you," I admitted, "and there is no way I'm leaving you to go through all this alone."

I reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Honey, you don't need to take care of me," she said.

"Yes I do," I said thinking back to what she went through the first time the cancer was there. It was hard enough with only me there, there was no way she could do this on her own and I didn't want her to.

"Mylee, we need to talk," she said.

"Why? What's wrong? Are you ok?" I asked, instantly panicking at her words. I had a terrible feeling she was going to tell me something like she wasn't going to get treatment. She couldn't do that! I know she had been through a lot but she was strong enough to get through this.

"It's ok, don't worry, I'm fine," she reassured me, seeing the panic on my face.

"Ok then what is it?" I asked her.

"You have to remember I love you," she said.

How could it not be bad if she started like that? Worry hit me again, as I waited for her to explain. I felt like I did when I was a little kid and I came home from school one day and she sat me and Sam down to tell us our Puppy had died.

"Oh god," I said.

"The truth is, I'm fine."

"Mom—"

"No really, I'm fine."

"I don't understand," I said.

"The cancer isn't back," she said.

I just stared at her blankly, trying to process what she had just said.

"Excuse me?" I asked in shock.

"I said the cancer isn't—"

"I heard what you said," I said, leaning against the counter for support. "So you just lied?"

"Well technically yes," she said shifting between her feet.

"There's no technically Mom! Why would someone lie about having cancer? That's not even funny! You don't joke about something like that!" I said, my voice getting louder.

"I'm sorry honey, I am but it was the only way I could get you to come home," she said, and instantly felt bad that my own mother had to lie about having a life threatening illness just to get me to visit.

"Mom…"

"I know it was a horrible thing to do, but I get to see you once a year in person, and even then it's because I've come to see you, not because you've come home. Mylee I miss you and Josh, I can't be away from you anymore like this."

"I'm sorry Mom. I can fly you out more often," I told her. I don't think I could possibly feel worse.

"I don't want you to have to fly me out Mylee, I want you to be in my life, not a contact on my Skype page!" she said sitting down.

"Mom, I can't move back here," I said.

"I know you don't want to talk to P-A-U-L but Josh needs a F-A-T-H-E-R in his life," she said, glancing over at Josh who was too preoccupied to notice.

"So that's why you called me here? To play matchmaker?" I asked, getting irritated. She didn't know the little details of what happened, but that didn't give her position to try and interfere in something that was right the way it was.

"Not only that," she admitted.

"Mom I can't move back here. It just isn't my life anymore," I said truthfully. As bad as I felt I couldn't move back to La Push.

"But it is your life," she said. "Have you even spoken to Sam lately?"

"Mom," I warned getting up. She knew this was the one subject I refused to talk about during our daily Skype sessions.

"Honey I know you don't want to hear it but he's your brother," she said, "You can't just not talk to him!"

"Mom, I know this is difficult for you to understand, but me and Sam just don't have a relationship anymore, and I didn't come here to fix that."

"I really wish you would," she said.

"Oh really? When was the last time you saw your son?" I asked her.

"I saw him a few weeks ago," she admitted, "but he's busy Mylee."

"Mom! He lives less than five minutes away and you barely see him! I'm sorry but there's something very wrong with that. I'm all the way across the country and I still manage to talk to you every day!"

"You and Sam used to be so close," she said.

"Well things change," I told her.

"Mylee, he's your brother," she reasoned.

"Yeah well he made it pretty clear where his loyalties lie when he moved in with Emily."

**A/N: I know it's a bit confusing but you know I like revealing as I go along! Let me know what you think so far! **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Mylee POV- ****January 2010**

"Lee?" I called, letting myself in the door. Downstairs was empty and I threw my jacket on the couch before going toward the stairs.

"Leah? I found these really awesome bridesmaid's dresses-" I called up before opening Leah's bedroom door. My speech stopped as soon as I saw Leah with streaks of dried tears down her face whilst she lay on her side staring into space.

"Oh my god," I said out loud, rushing over to her. "Leah, talk to me! Are you ok?"

I stroke her arm and shook her slightly, starting to panic. In my whole life I had never seen her like this. Leah was the strong one who always dealt with us when we were having a bad day. She was never on the other side.

"It's going to be ok Lee," I said, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket and wondering what to do. "I'm gonna call Sam. Lee, it's all going to be ok."

Before I could dial, Leah sat up instantly, and I breathed out in relief as seeing her responding.

"No, don't call Sam," she said.

"What? Why not?" I asked and watched as her eyes filled with tears.

"He broke up with me," she said.

My first reaction was to laugh, but the way Leah was acting told me this wasn't a joke.

"No, that doesn't make any sense. Why would Sam break up with you Leah? Are you sure you understood what he was saying?" I asked her. I had never seen Sam and Leah have a fight in my life. Of course they had playful fights all the time, but never serious ones.

Yesterday I'd never seen two people more in love. It made absolutely no sense.

"Myles he broke up with me and I don't know what to do," she said reaching out, and I pulled her into a hug.

"It's going to be fine. This is all just a misunderstanding," I assured her.

"First he avoided me for a week and said he was busy—" she started explaining.

"He wasn't just avoiding you Leah, he didn't see any of us. That doesn't explain anything," I said. Earlier this month Sam had been pretty AWOL, coming home at crazy hours of the night, and disappearing all day. I was starting to think he had some crazy secret hobby that he didn't want us to know. Then suddenly he started acting normal again, and I forgot all about it.

"Then he told he loves Emily," she whispered. "He says he's been fighting it for a while."

"Emily? As in your cousin Emily?" I asked shocked, and she nodded, sniffling.

"I don't understand what I did wrong," she said.

"Don't be stupid, you didn't do anything wrong!" I told her. I don't know what the hell my brother was playing at, but this wasn't funny.

"He doesn't even know Emily, Lee, he can't love her," I said.

"He met her at my house before he disappeared," she said. "I know he was avoiding me. I cant believe I was looking forward to them meeting. It does make sense though; Emily is so much prettier than—"

"Don't be ridiculous! And don't say things like that," I said cutting her off, "Leah, listen to me. Go take a shower and get dressed. I'm going to go speak to Sam and sort this out. You guys are not broken up. You're getting married and that's that."

"Mylee," she said, her voice wavering. I was worried but I couldn't show her that. Like I said, Leah was always the strong one out of us, and seeing her like this was really freaking me out.

"Leah, it's going to be fine," I told her. "Go take a shower. I'll come over later ok?"

"Ok," she said, getting out of bed.

The Leah in front of me was not the Leah I knew, and it worried me that she had this reaction over Sam supposedly breaking up with her. I also can't believe he would leave her alone in this state. I was going to kill him when I saw him.

I went back outside, and got back in Mom's car and started driving home.

"Sam!" I yelled, storming upstairs to his room, expecting him to be asleep.

Instead, I saw him folding clothes into the black suitcase we usually took with us when we went to go visit Mom's sister over on the Makah reservation.

"What are you yelling for?" he asked calmly.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked him, taking in the various piles around his room.

"I'm moving out," he said.

"You're what?" I half yelled.

"I'm moving," he said.

"I don't know what the hell is going on, but I need to be filled in like now!" I said, "Where are you going?"

"I'm moving in with Emily," he said.

I grabbed his arm to stop him packing, and actually focus on me.

"You're burning up," I said as our skin made contact, "are you sick?"

"No I'm not sick," he said. "Can you let go? I need to carry on packing."

"You're not moving in with Emily! What about Leah?"

"I love Emily," he said calmly, "I tried to love Leah I did, but I can't help it."

"Sam, you don't even know Emily," I reasoned. "You love Leah! You've been dating since you were fourteen! I don't know if this is cold feet about the wedding or—"

"Look Mylee, this really isn't any of your business," he says.

"Of course this is my business!" I said. "You're acting crazy! Leah is so upset about this, don't you care?"

"Of course I care!" he yelled, making me jump back in shock. "I don't want Leah to hurt, but she'll get over it. I can't keep living a lie."

"Sam, you've been together for seven years, "I said. "You don't just throw that away!"

"Can you go please?" he asked.

"What about Mom?" I tried.

"What about her?" he said.

"You know she's sick Sam, you can't just leave," I told him, lowering my voice in case she was home.

"She's responding well to the treatment. The doctor said so himself. I can't help her any more if I stay here," he said.

"Why are you acting like this?" I asked him.

"Mylee, I know you don't understand, but I'm doing the right thing here. The wrong thing would be to string Leah along when my heart was with Emily."

"Then what's the need to move in with Emily. You've known her two weeks!" I said, "you've known the mail man longer than that!"

"Mylee, it's killing me Leah's hurting ok? It's killing me it was me that inflicted her pain! Don't make this any more difficult!"

"I don't know what is happening, but in a few days you're going to realise what a stupid mistake you made and try and fix it," I said, walking out.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Can you believe this is happening?" I asked Paul.

We were eating our sandwiches as we sat on the hood of his car, watching as Leah sat in the distance, eating lunch by herself, reading a book that I could tell she wasn't actually reading because I hadn't seen her turn the page in the last half hour once. My heart broke for her, but I didn't know what I could possible do to help. Sam was sitting at a picnic table, by the Math block having lunch with Emily, who had come onto campus to have lunch with him.

I leaned against his shoulder, and moved away, feeling the heat radiating off his skin.

"You ok? You feel hot," I said.

"Why thank you," he said winking, and I scoffed.

We sat there in a comfortable silence eating our lunch until Paul brought up Leah and Sam again.

"I still can't believe they broke up," he said sighing. "It doesn't seem real."

Since they had broke up, I had barely spoken to Leah, who had kept to herself for the past week, and I hadn't spoken to Sam at all because he hadn't been over at the house once, and even then it was to pick up the rest of his stuff.

"I keep thinking any minute now they're going to tell us it was all a joke," I said.

"I know," he agreed.

"I just keeping thinking, this is Leah and Sam! Leah and Sam! If they can't make it then what chance do—"

"Don't say that!" he said putting his sandwich down beside him. "Myles, I don't know what happened to them but I know that is not going to happen to us."

"That's what we used to say about them too!" I said. "They were happy Paul! This just happened over night! With me going to Chicago, and no seeing you until you come after graduation, what if—"

"Mylee Uley, I love you, and nothing will ever change that. You're going to go to Chicago and be the best that you can be, and I'll be here loving you. Then I'll be there before you know it and we'll be fine."

"I love you Paul," I said.

Paul leaned in softly as I relished in the comfort of his lips on mine. I knew everything would be ok as long as I had Paul with me.

Xxxxxxxxxx

**Mylee POV- ****Present day- April 2013**

Ok so I felt bad for getting into a fight with Mom less than five minutes after I had arrived; which was one of the reasons I had offered to go out and get ingredients for dinner.

The other reason was that I needed to get some time to myself to think things over.

I didn't like it, but I did understand why Mom brought me back here. She just wanted to see her family together again and I couldn't blame her for that.

Unfortunately though it wasn't as simple as that.

"I'm sorry ma'am, the earliest I can get you a flight is in two weeks," the travel agent said through the phone in a southern accent.

"Two weeks! I can't wait two weeks," I said, putting a packet of spaghetti in the basket.

I hadn't pre-booked my ticket back to Atlanta because I didn't know how long it would take for Mom to pack up her stuff. Obviously I didn't have to wait for that to happen anymore but I did want to get home as soon as possible. Knowing the high possibility of seeing Sam or Paul in this tiny town made me feel sick.

"I'm sorry but that's the earliest I can book your tickets," she repeated.

"Ok, fine, book them in," I said reluctantly.

I guess I had two weeks of staying indoors ahead.

Thankfully I made it out the store and home, without seeing anybody I knew which was a miracle in itself considering how small La Push actually was. The smallness of it was only hitting me now after being away.

I walked into the house, and took the ingredients for dinner to the kitchen. I could hear the television on upstairs and both Mom and Josh's laughter. I walked around the corner into the storeroom, but I was still able to hear the back door open and keys hit the kitchen counter.

"Hey Sheila? I picked up your prescription. They didn't have all of it ready but I'll pick up the rest tomorrow after work."

I was prepared to stay hidden, not knowing who it was but as soon as I heard the voice, I knew if there was one person in this town I actually wanted to see, it was the person standing two feet away from me.

I came out and leaned against the wall, watching her move around for a second, emptying the grocery bag in her hand. I had to do a double take. Even though she was still Leah, she looked so different. Gone were the days of cute sundresses and long wavy hair and in their place were short green cargo shorts that 'my Leah' would never be seen dead in and a black tank top. I was more stunned by her shorter hair that came to just below her shoulders.

I distinctly remember conversations between the two of us where she'd tell me she would never cut her hair. It was the one thing she loved about herself and the day her hair was shorter than the bottom of her rib cage would be the day that pigs flew. I wonder when I missed the weather warning.

"I also got you that cranberry juice you like," she said, putting a carton into the fridge. "I was out getting a few things and saw it and thought you might like it."

"So nice weather we're having," I said casually even though I wanted to jump onto her.

Leah jumped to the side, as soon as she heard the noise almost on instinct.

"M..Mylee?" she asked, even though she knew who I was.

I held my breath, bracing myself to hear an onslaught of yelling which I deserved. When I left I wanted to keep in touch with Leah, or at least tell her what was going on but I couldn't risk it getting out. She had every reason to hate me. After all I had just abandoned her and left her here.

"I'm so s—" I started to apologise but was cut off when I felt her arms around me. I hugged her back in relief, not realising how much I had missed my best friend.

Before I could think about it too much, she let go, and shoved me backward.

"Where have you been?" she yelled. There it was.

"I'm so sorry Leah!"

"Sorry? Well damn straight you should be sorry! Do you have any idea how worried we were?" she said, putting her hand on her hip. "When Sheila admitted she knew where you were, only then could we relax slightly."

"I know, I'm so sorry! I couldn't stay here though, and I couldn't tell you because it was complicated," I told her sighing.

"Are you really being serious? You're going to stand her and tell me you couldn't tell me because I wouldn't understand that you couldn't carry on living in the same town after your boyfriend dumped you?" she asked raising an eyebrow. "Because I think out of all people, I would actually get that."

"Le—"

"Mylee, don't tell me how hard it was. You had the luxury of leaving and living your life and moving on. I had to stay here day in day out and see Sam every day with my cousin no less! So don't tell me I don't understand!"

"Leah, why didn't you leave? Why did you stay here and torture yourself?" I asked her. I knew how hard it must have been for her to stay here, and I didn't understand why she did.

"I couldn't just leave. I can't explain it but I have a link here. A job," she said.

"There are jobs out of La Push you know?" I told her, not getting it.

"It's complicated," she said. "You know the same 'complicated' why you left."

"Leah, I'm not just saying that, it really was complicated."

Leah looked past me to the door, and I turned around not knowing how she managed to hear that before I did?

"Momma? Can I have a cookie?" Josh asked, looking completely relaxed and at home in his Spiderman pyjamas after his bath.

Leah stared at Josh and sunk down slowly onto the stool, gripping the edge of the table.

"Oh my god," she said looking dazed. "Is that…?"

Josh only noticed her presence now, and hid behind my legs, feeling shy. Even though he was fine with people he knew, Josh usually didn't go to new people and took some time to warm up to someone.

"Complicated," I added to the end of her sentence.

"Sweetie, this is your Aunt Leah," I said, "She's a very good friend of Mommy's. We knew each other when we were your age."

"Hi," she said getting up and getting her voice back.

"Hi," he replied with a shy smile.

"What's your name?" she asked gently.

"Joshua Uley," he said confidently.

"Josh, tell her your whole name," I prompted.

"My long name is Joshua Lee Uley," he said giving her a small smile before hiding behind my legs again.

Leah's eyes widened hearing his middle name and looked up at me. I nodded with a smile, confirming that I'd named by son after my best friend.

"Josh, you can have one cookie," I said passing him one from the plate on the counter. "But that's it, dinner will be ready soon."

He grinned at the sight of what I handed him and ran back upstairs with his cookie in tow.

"Mylee, you're a Mom," she said slowly as if I didn't know.

"Yeah sometimes I wake up in the morning and forget until a little person wakes up demanding breakfast," I joked.

"Wow," she exclaimed, lost in her thoughts.

"I know I left you and didn't tell you where I was, but I wished you were with me," I told her with a weak smile.

She reached out squeezed my hand.

"It's good to see you Myles."

The door opened and Mom came in, drenched from helping Josh with his bath. Leah and I both laughed as we saw her.

"I forgot how fun bath time could be," she said, dabbing at her skirt with a towel. "Oh Leah, sweetie, I was just about to call you to see where you were."

"Hi Sheila," Leah said.

"I see you saw the surprise," Mom said gesturing to me.

"When you said you had a surprise for me I was expecting some sort of new baked good," Leah said. "I can't decide which I would have preferred."

I took the towel out of Mom's hands and flung it at her, and she laughed after dodging away before it was anywhere near her.

"I forgot to mention, me and Leah always have dinner on Tuesday nights," Mom said, putting water in the pan for the spaghetti.

"You do?" I asked.

"Well family dinner Tuesday doesn't just stop because neither of my actual kids could be there," Mom said and Leah laughed, beginning to set the table.

"What about Sam? Doesn't he come?" I asked and both Mom and Leah exchanged glances. What was that about?

"He comes over to see me when he can," Mom said. "Or I go there. But he's very busy with work."

I scoffed at her excuse and starting on making the sauce.

"You need to stop making excuses for him," I said. I had stopped making excused for my brother years ago.

As I made the sauce I watched Mom and Leah interact, and it made me happy to know that Leah could be there for Mom when I couldn't be, and Sam wouldn't be.

I drained the cooked spaghetti in the sink, and just as I finished I heard a loud howl close by.

"What was that?" I said putting the pan down and staring out the kitchen window.

"Wolves I think," Mom said. "You hear them sometimes."

"Why are they so close to the house?" I said worrying that it wasn't safe to have feral animals so close to us when they weren't scared of being this close to the house.

Leah shifted and walked toward the door.

"I'm so sorry, but I have to go," she said.

"What?" I asked, "aren't you staying for dinner?"

"I can't I'm so sorry, I just remembered I need to be at work," she said.

"At this time?" I asked, looking at the kitchen clock. It was just gone half past eight.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm sorry."

"Not to worry honey, I'll save you some," Mom said giving her a hug. "when you're at work say hi to Seth for me."

"Lee, wait!" I called, hearing mention of Seth being there.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" she asked.

"Definitely," I said. " Come over tomorrow and we'll hang out."

"Great," she said.

"Wait. It's really important you don't tell anyone I'm back or about Josh," I told her and she bit her lip.

"You're not going to tell anyone?" Mom said looking disapproving. I knew she wanted me to back to make peace with everyone but we weren't living in a fairy tale like she thought.

"Myles! I really wish I hadn't seen either of you if I can't say anything," she said looking conflicted.

"Huh?" I said hurt.

"No! Not in that way! I'm so happy you're back! I just mean it's going to be hard to keep it a secret."

"Come on Lee! How hard can it be? Just don't say anything to anyone. It's not like there anybody in your head!"

"Right," she agreed hesitantly.

When did it become so hard for Leah Clearwater to keep secrets?

A second howl sounded coming from the forest line, and Leah looked toward it.

"Are you sure it's safe to go out there?" I asked her. "Maybe we should call animal control or something."

"It's fine," she said. "Seems like city girl over here has become a big scaredy cat."

"Just go to work!" I said playfully pushing her out the door.

"Mylee, I really hope you're not planning to go home without seeing anyone," Mom said as soon as we were alone.

"Mom, please," I said taking out three plates from the cupboard they had always been in.

"Mylee—"

"I know you want me to be happy, and I love you for it, but I need you to trust I'm doing what's best for my son," I said. "I have tickets back home in two weeks."

"You need to trust I'm doing what best for my daughter. And this is your home."

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End file.
